Governing Bodies
Fifa highlights Osimhen among four African youngsters to watch on the road to Qatar
World football governing body, Fifa has spotlight four exciting young Africans as the World Cup qualifiers are entering the home stretch.
Among them is Nigeria’s arrowhead attacker, Victor Osimhen who wants to emulate Cote d’Ivoire’s football legend, Didier Drogba.
Ahead of the 2-0 away win against Central African Republic in Douala, Cameroon where he was the scorer of the goal that put the final nail on the opponent’s coffin, Fifa’s website described him thus:
“Victor Osimhen 12 caps, 7 goals for Nigeria Age: 22 Position: Forward Club: Napoli
Victor Osimhen certainly lit up the FIFA U-17 World Cup Chile 2015, finishing as top scorer with ten goals – a record that stands to this day – as Nigeria lifted the trophy.
“Didier Drogba is my role model. He represents the type of player and person that I would like to become,” he said at the time. “I hope I pick up his ball-control skills and his knack for scoring important goals.
He’s an absolute icon, a legend. I’d like to be able to play like him – or maybe even better!” Six years on, Osimhen is still a long way away from having the career that the Côte d’Ivoire star enjoyed, but the Super Eagle is certainly proving his worth in front of goal.
He joined Napoli at the start of last season and took a couple of months to settle, but once the New Year had been rung in, the goals started to flow and Osimhen ended up scoring four in six matches in 2020/21. He and Kelechi Iheanacho have also come to form a dynamic duo up front for Nigeria.”
Other players featured are Patson Daka of Zambia, Cheick Doucoure of Mali and Cheick Doucoure of Senegal
The president of the Confédération of African Football, Dr. Patrice Motsepe, has announced five new CAF Vice Presidents. They are:
- CAF First Vice President: Mr Fouzi Lekjaa (Morocco)
- CAF Second Vice President: Mr Kurt Okraku (Ghana)
- CAF Third Vice President: Mr Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
- CAF Fourth Vice President: Ms Bestine Kazadi Ditabala (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- CAF Fifth Vice President: Mr Feizal Sidat (Mozambique)
In addition, the CAF President has co-opted Yacine Idriss Diallo, President of Fédération Ivoirienne de football, into the CAF Executive Committee.
The CAF Executive Committee also approved the names to fill vacant positions on several CAF Committees.
Organising Committee for the African Nations Championship (CHAN)
- President: Pierre-Alain Mounguengui (Gabon)
CAF Technical and Development Committee
- President: Samuel Eto’o (Cameroon)
- Vice President: Malouche Belhassen (Tunisia)
CAF Medical Committee:
- President: Dr. Mohammed Bouya (Mauritania)
- Vice President: Dr. Thulani Ngwenya (South Africa)
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Governing Bodies
Nigeria becoming an epicentre of global badminton as Francis Orbih enters the Badminton World Federation Council
Laurels on the courts and now glory in the boardroom sums up the mark that badminton is making in Nigeria.
The President, Badminton Federation of Nigeria (BFN), Francis Orbih, has been elected as a council member of the Badminton World Federation (BWF).
The election took place during the BWF Annual General Meeting on Saturday in Xiamen, China.
Orbih emerged victorious over top contenders from other African countries.
He will join Cameroon’s Odette Assembe Engoulou on the council, while Chipo Zumburani (Zimbabwe) and Hadia ElSaid (Egypt) missed out.
An elated Orbih expressed his gratitude to fellow badminton presidents across the globe for their trust and support.
He said, “I am deeply honoured by the trust placed in me by my peers across the badminton world.
“I look forward to quality representation, driving development initiatives, and strengthening badminton’s global reach over the next four years.”
Orbih also acknowledged the support of the Federal Government of Nigeria, particularly the National Sports Commission (NSC), which he said played a significant role in his successful bid.
“The Chairman and the Director General of the NSC monitored the entire process. I’m grateful for their involvement and confident Nigeria will benefit from this,” he stated.
He further appreciated the BFN board members and the Nigerian badminton community for their prayers and continued belief in his leadership.
“From the day I declared my intentions, the board members of BFN have been supportive, and I promise not to disappoint them,” Orbih concluded.
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A former member of the FIFA Council, Mamoutou Toure, has been released from jail in Mali after almost two years in detention for alleged corruption, Malian media reports said on Wednesday.
Toure, president of the Malian Football Federation since 2019, was released after 622 days in prison on Tuesday.
He served on the FIFA Council, world football’s all-powerful decision-making body, for four years until last month when he lost his seat after failing to contest new elections.
The 67-year-old was arrested in August 2023 on allegations of embezzling $28 million of public funds but was granted a provisional release order by the Malian courts, reports said.
He was accused of misconduct during his time as the National Assembly’s financial and administrative director from 2013-2019.
Toure denied all charges and, during his time in jail, was last August re-elected as Malian Football Federation president for a second consecutive term, with his supporters claiming he was a victim of a conspiracy fuelled by detractors.
While in jail, he received a letter of support from FIFA president Gianni Infantino. However, as of last month, Toure is no longer a member of the FIFA Council or the Confederation of African Football’s executive committee.
-Reuters
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